Vehicle tires are subjected to a variety of forces during vehicle operation. One example is shear stress, which is related to and can affect vehicle traction. Because shear stress forces are well known from motor and traction management perspectives, the shear stress can be used to calculate the forces between the tire and the road. Knowledge of these forces is paramount for vehicle stability control.
Vehicles typically do not measure the stress in the tire or the forces between a road surface and a tire. Ideas exist to use accelerometers, force sensors, or optical sensors to determine the form and area of the contact between wheel and road, which could provide a meaningful measure of the aforementioned forces. These ideas, however, have generally not been implemented with desired levels of success. The need for a practical and complete solution to the measurement of shear and other stresses in a tire therefore remains.